Orlando Attractions

Exploring Beyond Disney: Universal Orlando, SeaWorld & Other Attractions

“Anything you can do, we can do better.” This seems to be the Orlando motto. Every time one park adds an attraction, the next park feels the need to add two attractions (or at least one that’s far more impressive), and so on, and so on, and so on. This has been going on since Mickey first arrived in town. The game of cat and mouse between Disney and its top-ranked challenger Universal Orlando, which each year since 1999 has chipped away at what was once WDW’s virtual monopoly, however, is all good — at least for you and me. Each time one park tries to outdo the other, we reap the benefits of their additions. Still, make no mistake: Disney is king, leading in theme parks (4-2) and smaller attractions (9-1). It has a 2-to-1 edge in nightclub venues, a huge lead in restaurants, and, when it comes to hotel rooms, its lead is insurmountable.

Nevertheless, Universal is trying. It had a substantial growth spurt in 1999, bolstering its original park, Universal Studios Florida, with a second theme park, Islands of Adventure; a nightclub and restaurant complex, CityWalk; and its first resort, Portofino Bay, a 750-room Loews hotel. In January 2001, it opened a second resort, the Hard Rock Hotel; and, in 2002, it followed up with the Royal Pacific Resort. Universal then sent J. K. Rowling fans into a tizzy when it announced it would open the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure, which remained under construction … Continue reading →

name	price
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens	Admission $10.95 adults, $8.95 seniors, $6.95 children 3-12
Forever Florida	Tours and rides from $28 adult, $22 kids (6-12) on …
Gatorland	Admission $22.99 adults, $14.99 children 3-12
Harry P. Leu Gardens	Admission $7 adults, $2 children grades K-12; Mon 9am-noon free
Holy Land Experience	Admission $35 adults, $23 children 6-12
Orlando Museum of Art	Admission $12 adults, $9 seniors and students, $5 children 4-17, …
Orlando Science Center	$17 adults, $12 children 3-11, $16 seniors 55 and older, …
Peabody Ducks	Free admission
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium	Admission $19 adults, $12 children 4-12
Wet ‘n Wild	Admission $39.95 adults, $33.95 children 3-9, $39.95 length-of-stay pass (14 …